The Gulgong Nightrider Community Bus will introduce a twice-a-day Gulgong/Mudgee route on Fridays, aimed at helping Gulgong residents access major services while also giving tourists in Mudgee a link to the historic small town.
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The service started in 2009 by the Gulgong Liquor Accord to provide a transport option for people from local pubs and clubs on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and attempt to curtail drink driving incidents given that no taxi service is available in the area.
However, over the years it was expanded into a community service for locals who otherwise would've had difficulty getting around the town.
After facing an uncertain future in mid-2018, a sub-committee of the Gulgong Chamber of Commerce was formed to manage the Nightrider.
This also made it eligible for more grants and its services can now be expanded.
Sub-committee chairman Bill Egan said that after securing a grant the Gulgong/Mudgee route was chosen and is expected to benefit both communities.
"Every Friday from April 5 onwards we're going to run the bus between Gulgong and Mudgee return, twice a day" he said.
"This will be to bring Gulgong people into Mudgee for appointments with doctors, Service NSW, Medicare, and all of the things Gulgong doesn't offer.
"Plus we're working with MRTI to bring people from Mudgee, because Gulgong has a lot of tourist attractions and we're hoping to offer a service that will benefit both towns."
A poll run on the Nightrider Facebook page back in November showed overwhelming support for the then proposed service aimed at providing transport for such appointments.
The bus is funded by support from local hotels in the liquor accord, government grants and donations from patrons of the service.
Tickets for a return trip are $30 for adults and $20 for pensioners and children under 18. They are available from Mudgee Region Tourism Inc (MRTI) online at visitmudgeeregion.com.au, or by calling (02) 6372 1020, and need to be purchased prior to travel.
The bus will depart from the Gulgong Memorial Hall in Herbert Street at 10am Fridays, and from the Mudgee Visitor Information Centre in Market Street at 10.45am. And will do the same at 2pm and 2.45pm respectively.